People across the nation were shocked when news broke that a 15-year-old girl was caught having sex with 25 boys inside a high school restroom. The incident allegedly occurred at South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Florida.
According to WFTX, the sex act took place in the boys restroom with members of the school’s football team after school hours. Other students who attended the school became aware of the incident as it was uploaded to Snapchat.
However, the mother of the teenage girl who was involved recently revealed that the girl was still dealing with past trauma. At 13, the girl ran away from home and eventually began living with an older pimp. The pimp forced the girl to have sex with as many as 30 men per day. The abuse continued for two years and had a detrimental effect.
When the girl was finally rescued and returned to her family, she was placed in several treatment programs and recently finished one that lasted for eight months. But due to the fact that she was a runaway, she was not accepted by other programs that could have directly addressed how to cope after such a traumatic experience. As a result, she never received the proper help needed before she enrolled in South Fort Myers High two weeks before the bathroom incident.
Reportedly, she began talking to a teenage boy she found attractive. He convinced her to meet him in the boys’ restroom and the two had sex. Afterward, the boy called members of the football team who also engaged in sex with the young woman. The incident lasted an hour before the boys had to leave for practice.
The girl’s case has shed light on sex trafficking and how victims sustain trauma that can derail their lives long after they are able escape. According to the U.S. Department pf State, most sex trafficking victims begin in the sex trade at the ages of 12 and 13. Victims of sex trafficking develop feelings of helplessness, shame and can suffer from panic attacks, anxiety and depression.
It’s imperative that the teenage victim receive the proper treatment to help her heal from the abuse she encountered for two years.
The boys who were involved in the sex act were disciplined by school officials, but they were not charged with a crime. The girl’s mother has since removed her from South Fort Myers High.
